


Mad. Love?

by gothxm_valeska



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: BrucexJeremiah?, Eccomiah, Explores Jeremiah and Ecco’s relationship a lot more than the show did, F/M, How Ecco goes insane, Jeremiah and Ecco During the beginning of No Man’s Land, Jeremiah and Ecco origin, Possibly Wayleska, Slight divergence from original storyline, Will add more characters in as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-05-18 18:40:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19340311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothxm_valeska/pseuds/gothxm_valeska
Summary: An Ecco and Jeremiah story taking place during the first month in No Man's Land and continuing through the fifth season of Gotham. There may be some divergence from the original storyline, but nothing major. May feature some Bruce x Jeremiah in later chapters as well. (Sorry not good at writing summaries).





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, so this is my first time ever writing fanfiction, so it probably won't be nearly as good as half the stuff out there, but I'm hoping to improve with more practice! Hope you enjoy!

**A month into No Man's Land**

Jeremiah POV:

Jeremiah let loose an angry growl, tightening the grip on the pencil in his hand so hard that it hurt. Currently he was located in an abandoned building that him ( and occasionally Ecco) had been occupying for about a week now. Despite Ecco's initial protest that they would be perfectly safe staying in one place as long as it was strategically chosen outside of the city, far away from Jim Gordon and all the other commotion that was currently taking place, Jeremiah had insisted that they keep moving. He had a feeling that someone - he strongly suspected Jim Gordon - would be on a constant search for him, no doubt determined find and hold him accountable for his actions.

His suspicions had later been proven partly correct, after Ecco had shown up at one of their temporary hideouts, dragging along a bruised, bloodied and terrified man who looked like he was part of one of the street gangs in Gotham. Initially Jeremiah thought nothing more of the man other than that he was a common criminal who had just happened to accidentally stumble upon his hideout. So one could only imagine what a surprise it had been for Jeremiah when had found out that the man had, in fact, been sent on a search for him by none other than Bruce Wayne himself.

Jeremiah smirked. He still remembered gaping at the man, eyes wide and mouth slack as he processed the information that he had just heard. Not only was his dear Bruce searching for him, but he was choosing to make a show of it, no doubt expecting at least one of the multiple - Jeremiah had assumed it was multiple, at least based off of the man's description of Bruce's rage and determination to find him - criminals that he had confronted to be able to either tell him where Jeremiah was, or make his way to him, just as this man had, and then show him exactly what was in store for him when Bruce would find him.

He covered his mouth with his hand attempting to conceal a soft giggle that threatened to escape him at the thought. It had been the most wonderful feeling in the world to know that Bruce was searching for him this whole time, that he hadn't forgotten and that he still cared about Jeremiah as much as he had, in turn, cared for him.

Jeremiah slumped his composure as he leaned back against his chair, letting his eyes slip shut, allowing his thoughts to wander. As much as he wanted to see Bruce, and he did, more than anything else in the world ( he was his very best friend after all), he knew that he couldn't, at least not until he came up with the perfect plan to help Bruce see things in the same way that he sees them. To bestow upon him the same gift that Jerome had previously granted him, one that would free the darkness within Bruce that he tries so hard to conceal. Then, and only then could he and Jeremiah fulfill the destiny that they were always meant for. The destiny that was sealed the very day that the two of them met, Jeremiah, the shy nerdy engineer and Bruce Wayne, the smart and incredibly kind billionaire; the only good thing about this otherwise horridly corrupted city. They were always meant to rule Gotham, their dark island together, forever bonded in every way possible.

A light smile tugged at the corners of Jeremiah's lips as he imagined the day that him and Bruce could finally be around each other again without trying to claw the others throat out, _That'll be a day_ he mused as his mind continued to center around the pleasant thought. The very idea of being able to see Bruce again, to be able to make him feel what Jeremiah felt, the very thought of him eyeing Jeremiah with the same kind, gentle look that he used to give him once upon a time was enough to motivate Jeremiah once again, prompting him to sit up in his chair, grabbing his pencil and beginning the thought process anew.

"Hmm, think, think, think" he mused to himself until, suddenly, his head shot up, pencil falling out of his hand as he reached up to his face, attempting to conceal yet another giggle, this time a more sinister one as an idea popped into his mind. Without warning his head snaps to the side, and the expression on his face changes from the previously amused one to a stoic, and somewhat angry one. His tone takes on a deeper note as he growls to himself, "What are you doing? Stop it". Jeremiah's head turns to the opposite side as he alters his voice once again, increasing the pitch so that it somewhat resembled that of Jerome's unhinged tone, a smile blossoming over his cherry painted lips as he murmurs " Why do keep fighting it brother? Just give in already". Regaining his stoic expression and his normal voice, a stern " I will never give in, now stop it, I have more important matters to attend to" follows, seemingly putting an end to the strange conversation.

Suddenly, Jeremiah's head abruptly shoots up, surveying the empty room as if worried that someone had magically materialized within it. After confirming that the room was indeed empty, he proceeds to clear his throat, straightening his tie and sitting back up in his chair. As he's about to return to his work, the clock located on the wall opposite him captures his attention. It reads 8:00pm, striking him with the realization that Ecco was meant to return from her little expedition well over an hour ago. Jeremiah sighs and stands up from his chair, beginning to hum a tune on his way towards the large window located on the right hand side of his office, overlooking the rest of Gotham. As he walked around to the front of his desk Jeremiah paused, his thoughts once again drawn to his right-hand woman. _Where are you my dear?_ he wondered.

As if on cue, the doorknob begins to squeak and Jeremiah whips around, his .38 caliber revolver in hand, aiming it at the door. A second later his tense body relaxes and he lets out an agitated huff, lowering his gun as Ecco walks into the room and removes her mask. "Do me a favour and knock next time" his irritated tone fills the room, immediately drawing Ecco's attention towards him. "Or else I might just shoot you" he finishes, turning himself around to place his trusty gun on the desk behind him. Afterwards he faces her once more, "You're late " he continues watching Ecco as she eyed him with a seemingly indifferent expression on her face. Finally, her light and calm voice fills the room " My sincerest apologies, Jeremiah, I was held up by a gang who had recognized me as your ally". Jeremiah's previously irritated face takes on an expression of interest as his eyebrows rise and a surprised "Oh?" escapes his mouth. Taking this as a cue to continue, Ecco begins to explain " They mentioned that Bruce Wayne was looking for you and judging from the state they were in, I assumed that they were planning on trading you in for supplies".

Jeremiah ponders at this new information. Not only is Bruce personally searching for him in, what he can only assume, is his free time but he also put out a bounty on Jeremiah's delivery to him. It takes all of Jeremiah's willpower to conceal a smile that threatens to form on his face as his heart beats faster and swells with an amount of happiness that he never even knew was possible for a person to experience. He knows that it's Bruce's way, strange as it may seem, of showing that he feels it, the connection that Jeremiah felt the very moment he had laid his eyes on the beautiful raven-haired boy back when they first met.

Taking a moment to keep his emotions in check, Jeremiah glances up at Ecco to address the issue at hand. "Well that's why I have you as my right hand" comes the drawl of his voice, as he picks his gun back up, suddenly becoming very interested in it. After a few more seconds of observing the gun, he pushes himself off the table and approaches Ecco, stopping only when a mere few inches separate their bodies. Jeremiah lifts the gun up, beginning to trace Ecco's jawline, his gaze still fixated on the weapon. "To ensure that neither I, nor my missions are ever jeopardized", he breathes out, and Ecco's eyelashes flutter as the cool, minty breath from his mouth hits her face.

After a few moments Jeremiah turns his attention towards Ecco, observing her reaction. To most it would seem as if she were completely unfazed by the whole ordeal, that her face remained exactly identical to the expression she possessed on it a mere seconds beforehand, but Jeremiah isn't just anybody. Having spent most of his life with Ecco by his side, he had come to realize pretty quickly that she was not a very expressive person when it came to her emotions. Jeremiah later learned that this was a front, one that she committed a lot of time and energy into perfecting ever since she was little, when her dad had left the day before her 6th birthday, prompting her to put up a wall between herself and the rest of the world. Over time, being as observant as he is, Jeremiah had come to recognize the distinct expressions that Ecco possessed, to the point where he could differentiate them with complete ease.

Right now, as he continued to study her face he noticed that her quiet breathing came out in smaller intervals and that she had a worried flicker in her eye. She was nervous, as she should be, and it pleased Jeremiah. " I hope that I am correct in the assumption that your escape was not courtesy of a negotiation?" he questions, already knowing the answer to that, but still wanting to hear the reassurance come from Ecco herself. She glanced up looking right into his eyes and giving the simple response of " Of course not. I would die before giving you up". Satisfied with that, Jeremiah promptly removes the weapon from her face, and flashes her a dazzling smile to which she doesn't make a move to reciprocate, simply staring back up at him with her unwavering stoic expression.

As Jeremiah turns away from her, beginning to walk back towards the window, he briefly wonders what it would be like if Ecco wasn’t so serious all the time, if she had smiled more. By the time he crosses the few steps needed to reach his destination, he decides that her smile would be one of the most beautiful ones that he's ever seen.


	2. Chapter 2

Ecco POV:

Ecco stood there, near the door where she came from. She calmly observed Jeremiah as he moved away from her and towards the lone window in his current office, stopping in front of it to observe the city of Gotham, now shrouded in complete darkness. She was still trying to get her emotions in check from when her cool demeanor had begun to slip up a just a few minutes ago. It was for a good reason too. Jeremiah had held a gun to her face, something that he had never done before. It had alarmed Ecco, but more than that, it worried her, bringing up the buried question that she debated for days on end after Jeremiah was sprayed by his brother's gas mixture. Had Jerome succeeded in his goal? Did he, in fact, manage to drive his twin to insanity? 

Ecco gulped quietly, as she recalled the night it all began. At first when she had revealed her concerns to Jeremiah, he had insisted that Jerome's plan had failed. He claimed that besides a few cosmetic changes, he felt more sane than ever before. Ecco knew that it was more than that. Besides the fact that his eyes turned a pale light blue shade, his lips bright red and his skin took on an unnaturally white tone, giving him the appearance of a vampire, his persona had changed as well. He was no longer nervous, shy and nerdy but rather cold and calculated, taking on a monotonous tone that made it sound as if he were immune to emotions. It took Ecco a while to get used to this new Jeremiah, but nevertheless, she had managed to push her true feelings and concerns aside, reminding herself that she had devoted her life to him and that no matter what she was going to stick by his side, just as he had always stuck by hers. Now, however, those same concerns where coming back as in the past few weeks after the bridges were destroyed, Ecco had noticed more changes in Jeremiah. Following his plan's success, he became more egotistical. Not to mention that his previously carefully controlled demeanour had started slipping, giving way to a more unpredictably unstable one. More than that, Ecco had noticed on a variety of occasions that he tended to have conversations with himself, as if there was another voice in his head, whispering things to him. These new alterations had worried Ecco, making her question wether Jerome's gas was, after all, fulfilling its intended purpose. 

She was snapped out of her thoughts as Jeremiah's voice filled the room, an excited tone evident in it. "How could I possibly forget? Tell me, how is your little assignment coming along?". At that, Ecco's mind shifts gears, pushing her previously debated concerns aside as the success of her given task fills her mind. She feels her face light up, flashing with pride as she informs Jeremiah of the good news " Quite well. Turns out that after the word of who was responsible for blowing up the bridges had spread, you became quite popular. There are hundreds willing to follow you" she gushed, before looking up, wanting nothing more than to see Jeremiah's face filled with an approval that would no doubt succeed in keeping her happy beyond comprehension for days on end. Instead, her eyes had met Jeremiah's angry scowl, making her stomach sink. 

Ecco froze as her mind begin to replay every second of the conversation, intent on pinpointing what it was that had displeased Jeremiah. She had done everything that he had asked for, right? Find out if there were those in Gotham willing to take up the job of being his new minions. What if that's not what he had meant? Ecco's worries grew as her failure in pleasing Jeremiah continued to gnaw at her, before his disgusted tone filled the room once again, " Ecco, remind me again what happened with my previous set of followers won't you?". At that Ecco’s mind was put at ease, content with the realization that it was not anything that she had done to displease Jeremiah but rather the memory of what had occurred weeks beforehand that had turned his mood sour. His previous set of followers used to be Jerome's, changing sides once he had died and Jeremiah had made promises of accomplishing everything that Jerome had wanted to, but did not. Then after Jeremiah ( through no fault of his own) had also not had the best of luck in accomplishing what he had promised, they had turned on him, forcing Jeremiah to dispose of them. 

Ecco cringed as she recalled the incompetence of Jeremiah's so called "followers" at the time. "They weren't truly loyal, they turned against you" she answered, hoping the response was acceptable. Jeremiah’s previously angry scowl had lessened, yet his face still remained hard. "Yes, and believe me my dear, I do not" he had made a pause before continuing, deciding to correct his previous statement "Will not have a repeat of that embarrassment" he finished, glancing up at her. "Quality is more important than quantity to me" he states, clarifying the message he was trying to send. 

"With all due respect boss, how do you plan on determining who the truly loyal ones are?" Is the first question that escapes Ecco. She watches as Jeremiah chuckles and lifts his gun up beginning to examine it, stating in a distant tone " Let's just say, I have something in mind". Dismissing the sinister edge that laced his voice, Ecco tried to contain her eagerness as she questions " Anything I can do to help boss?". Jeremiah's gaze lands on her once again, making her heart beat faster as a smile graces his features at her inquiry. "In fact, my dear, there is one thing" he states as he proceeds to stand up, walking around his desk to grab his striped jacket that was draped across the chair. Afterwards, he placed his gun in its holster, walking up to Ecco, making her breath hitch in her throat as he offered his arm to her, "Would you do me the honour of escorting me to that abandoned church that you previously mentioned?" He questions as Ecco stares up at him, adoration evident on her features as she observed the most perfect man in existence. Attempting to conceal the unconditional love and admiration from her tone, she settled with a simple "It would be my honour", looping her arm through his. Jeremiah flashed her yet another beautiful smile with his pearly white teeth, which she could no longer resist returning with one of her own tight lipped smiles, as they both proceeded to exit the building

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note:
> 
> Wow, so that's two chapters done already! I hope that you guys enjoyed this! I know that I'm not a good writer but hopefully this was somewhat okay. I'm planning for this to be a multi-chapter story about Ecco and Jeremiah in the months of No Man's Land before the fifth season started and then during the fifth season. This story will feature Ecco's transformation and explore her and Jeremiah's relationship more. I was also considering including some Bruce x Jeremiah in it but I'm not sure if I will yet, so if you guys have thoughts on it then just let me know. Anyways, thank you all so much for reading this and I will be back soon with another chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Jeremiah POV:

Jeremiah bent down to swipe a finger along the bottom of an empty swimming pool located in the abandoned church. He lifted it up to his face, only to see a white layer of dust along with other debris coating the deep purple, leathery texture of his glove. He cringed in disgust, "It needs some sprucing up" he states, rising to his full height from the crouched position. "But I have faith that after a few much needed renovations, it will be perfect!". He turns towards Ecco, who immediately straightens up as his gaze lands on her, and appears at full attention. "Well done, my dear" he praises and although she tries to conceal it, her affection for him shines through once again as Jeremiah takes note of her jerky nod and poor attempt at trying to contain a smile that nevertheless shone through her eyes. Jeremiah turns around and smirks, _Oh my sweet Ecco, one day your endless devotion will be your undoing_ , he thinks to himself as he continues to survey the deserted building.

As he was in the middle of observing a plain, stained glass window, pondering on whether his or Bruce's face would look better there, Ecco's voice fills the room once again. "It could be a recruitment station once its ready". Although Jeremiah makes no attempt at indicating that he had heard her, let alone turning around, a smile lights up his face at the ingenious idea. Of course. Ecco, my dear, for once your ideas may just be of use to me. Despite his lack of response, he hears Ecco's "When shall I get started?" ring out across the room anyways, as if she could read his thoughts. _Can she?_ Jeremiah suddenly begins to wonder, reminiscing on several of the times in the past when she seemingly predicted what he was thinking. Before he let his thoughts and theories run wild, he catches himself, deciding to not get sidetracked, instead turning around to face Ecco. "Now now my dear, let's not get ahead of ourselves," he states calmly, walking over to the old, wooden table located in the middle of the empty pool. He stopped in front of the piece of furniture, perching himself atop of it and after glancing towards Ecco, confirming that he had her full and undivided attention (when does he not though?) he continues, "Jerome may have been my greatest curse, however, there was one thing that he did for me that I continue to remain thankful for". His eyes scan Ecco's face as her brows furrow in confusion. "What's that?". Jeremiah smirks at her cluelessness, letting out a low, dark chuckle. "What is the one thing that all fear above anything else?" he questions, and after a few minutes of Ecco appearing as if she were wrecking her brain trying to find the answer he was looking for, Jeremiah rolled his eyes, deciding to give it to her himself. "Death. The thing that all people fear above anything else is death, Ecco." His voice becomes distant, as his gaze seems to pierce through her in its intensity, " One of Jerome's gifts for me had included the ability to stare death in the face".

Jeremiah continued to observe as Ecco shifted uncomfortably. She was nervous, and not for the first time that night either. Jeremiah wondered what it was that caused this sudden shift in her attitude towards him. Suddenly it all clicked in his head, and it took everything he had to fight back a smirk that threatened to spill at the absurdity of his new realization. _She's scared of me_ he thinks to himself. Immediately afterwards, a feeling of sadness washes over him. _Why is she scared? She never was before._ At that, a dark chuckle echoed at the back of Jeremiah's mind. _You're going soft brother dearest. You used to be so eager to manipulate everyone around you, turning them against me and never batting an eye at the abuse I received as a result. But now, now that you realize this girl's afraid of you, you decide to actually care? I didn't expect you to turn out to be such a disappointment. Especially after I left my legacy to you. I thought that you and I were the same brother._ At that, Jeremiah's gaze fell to the ground as a scowl broke out over his features. _We aren't the same, I'm everything you ever were, but better. You may have left a legacy to me, but I won't follow it, no, I am creating my own legacy now!_ He thought furiously. Suddenly his head snaps back up, meeting Ecco's gaze, which was still fixated on him. Jeremiah noticed with surprise that her carefully composed facade was now completely gone, and her face was mingled with terror and confusion.

He continued to stare at Ecco as the shock from her putting her emotions on full display continued to sink into him. She stood there, seemingly glued in place, staring right back. _But perhaps he's right,_ Jeremiah muses, reaching back and removing his gun from its holster bringing it forward. _Maybe I am going soft_. He saw Ecco's eyes dart towards it, and a new wave of fear washed over her face as she glanced up, staring back into his eyes as if she were searching for something, what exactly Jeremiah wasn't sure. His gaze broke away from her, falling onto the gun as he opened the chamber, removing all the bullets. "Seeing as how death is what most people are afraid of" He raised his eyes to hers once again as he held up a single bullet for her to see and gave a chilling smile, watching her as her eyes followed his hand, which placed the bullet into the chamber. " I want all my followers to express their loyalty by proving that they are willing to do absolutely anything for me." He continued to watch her watching him as he gave the bullet chamber a spin, snapping it closed with a jerk of his wrist.

Suddenly Ecco's eyes snapped back to Jeremiah's, realization dawning on her features at his implication. Her shaky voice broke the silence, "Do you really think they'd risk death for the opportunity to work for you?". The question is like an insult to Jeremiah, and as soon as the word's leave Ecco's mouth, his face contorts into one of anger as he glares at her, "Well when you put it that way" he growls out, walking towards Ecco, flipping the gun in his hand so that the handle was now facing her. She couldn't seem to make eye contact with him as he stopped, menacingly towering over her, and held up the gun as if in a mock offering " Let's find out, shall we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:
> 
> Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update, I've had so much going on lately and even more coming up, so thank you all for being so patient. I pretty much have the next chapter all written out, just have to go back over it and edit, so that should be up soon. Anyways, thanks again for taking the time to read this, and I'll be back again soon!


End file.
